World's top 10 goalkeepers statistically compared so far this season

Being a goalkeeper is an unforgiving job. If they perform well, they don't receive the recognition they deserve. However, if they perform poorly, they are the first person in the team to receive criticism.

It's a stressful and pressurised job much of the time and the world's best 'keepers are their teams' last port of call between what could be conceding a decisive goal or making a save to keep their club in a competition.

And with Europe's top leagues being blessed with the very best goalkeepers in world football, it's time to look at who has made the best start to the new season with their respective clubs.

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Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer is ever present at the top of the goalkeeping charts, while Hugo Lloris perhaps deserves more recognition than he receives. And the introduction of Claudio Bravo in the Premier League has seen Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola bring a new goalkeeping philosophy to England.

However, have the world's top ten players been meeting their personal high standards so far in their respective leagues this season? And is there a few surprise star performers so far this campaign? The stats tables below have the answers to all our questions.

Joe Hart's departure from Manchester City this summer was signalled following the arrival of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona. Pep Guardiola was keen to sign a ball-playing goalkeeper and the statistics prove exactly why the former Barcelona chief dismissed the England international in favour of the Chilean.

Only Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen has made more successful passes (153) than Bravo (137), and Guardiola can now safely back up his decision to axe Hart, who left City fans disgruntled when Hart's loan move to Serie A outfit Torino was announced.

As many as three of the world's top ten goalkeepers have conceded as few as three goals in the league this season, including Paris Saint-Germain's Alphonse Areola, Tottenham's Hugo Lloris and Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid.

Lloris' personal start to the campaign has been matched by Spurs' fine start to the season, which sees them up to third in the league and a point behind league leaders Manchester City.

Early season strugglers

However, the same can't be said for two of his fellow Premier League stars, Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois, who have already conceded nine goals in the league this season, for Arsenal and Chelsea respectively.

Not too surprising for Oblak, though - considering the defensive quality of Diego Simeone's Atletico team - is the fact that none of world's top 10 goalkeepers have kept more clean sheets than the Slovenian who has already denied opposition throughout the 90 minutes on five occasions this season.

That compares to the woeful one clean sheet Bravo has kept for Manchester City - although no doubt Guardiola will not be going too hard on the Chile international, who is still adjusting to life in the Premier League.

Both David de Gea and Cech have had a busy start to the season, producing the most saves (17), while Areola has had to make ten fewer for PSG, with the Parisians second in Ligue 1.

But while PSG's shot stopper may not have had too much to do in the early season, Lloris has been kept on his toes and has arguably played a large part in Mauricio Pochettino's side's great early season form.

Lloris kept busy

The France international has made 5.33 saves per goal, at White Hart Lane, making him the most busy and most successful goalkeeper of the world's top 'keepers, right now. But Spurs' west London rivals will be hoping their highly-rated goalkeeper can up his standards, having made just 1.11 saves per goal, for Chelsea, so far this campaign.

However, while Neuer has surprisingly not been leading many of the goalkeeping statistics so far this season, the German boasts the biggest distribution percentage of 90%, unsurprisingly it has to be said, followed by Ter Stegen (85%).

Going by the statistics, Lloris certainly looks like one of the most effective 'keepers in Europe right now, while Cech and Courtois' statistics suggest they could do marginally better.

Do the statistics fairly reflect how the world's top goalkeepers have performed for their respective clubs in the league so far this season? Give your opinion in the comment box below.

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